“Strive to be more than number one. Strive to be the greatest number one. – Matshona Dhliwayo
How should one feel when you reach the pinnacle of the tall, steep mountain you always wanted to climb? Or when you finish the grueling marathon you have trained hard for? Or when you find out your company is number one in the world in both server revenue and units?
Joyful? Yes.
A bit worn? Yes.
Motivated? Definitely.
This is the first time that Dell is the leader in the x86 server business in both revenue and in units, a business equivalent of not only having the cake and but eating it too. This could not have occurred if our customers worldwide did not think PowerEdge servers were the best of breed, or if our sales teams did not persuasively highlight the value these servers bring to our customers’ businesses. We must acknowledge and celebrate this high watermark of our business.
As we bask in this accomplishment, I pause to reflect on what has made this possible, and how can we sustain this seemingly untenable goal. Among many positive attributes such as innovative engineering and great products that came together to get us to number one, three attributes seem to stand out:
Customer-Centric Approach
Having been at other leading tech organizations, I have found that being customer-centric is more than a convenient moniker at Dell. It is a fundamental guiding principle for how we develop these amazingly complex server products. Our customers span across multiple industry verticals and range from a humble two-person shop in a remote corner of Asia to large enterprises on Wall Street. Despite this large market with diverse needs, our teams listen to our customers, understand their unique needs, engineer the right server solution at the right value, and deliver the right growth tool enabling businesses to thrive. Our growing base of customers seem to understand our customer-centric approach and have entrusted their businesses to run on PowerEdge — the bedrock of modern IT.
Culture of Empowerment
Gen. George Patton said it best: “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” I believe that we continuously strive to foster a sense of empowerment in our teams by keeping an open, honest, bi-directional communication. We encourage risk-taking knowing well that not all ideas will hit the intended mark. I sincerely believe that empowering people to accomplishing their dreams is the surefire way to achieving your goals. I was pleased to read recently that Comparably, a compensation, culture and careers monitoring website, found Dell to have one of the best managers in 2017. This is, perhaps, another testimonial that we are on the right path when it comes to empowering our people.
Positive Teamwork
At Dell, I have found and experienced great teamwork. When given an objective or a target, individuals and leaders come together quickly and efficiently to work towards their goal. Are they always harmonious? No. Are there differences of opinion, of thought? Certainly. However, there exists a certain professionalism and mutual respect in our teams that I have rarely seen in other places. I believe this teamwork will help us keep up the momentum.
There is indeed a heady feeling when one is ranked number one in the server business. While we savor for a bit longer, we need to be cognizant that the market is dynamic, the technology advantages are always evolving and fleeting, the competitive landscape is fierce and customer needs are more demanding. We will continue to bring the best server products to market and I believe that the above three attributes (or secrets) are the ones that will separate the market leaders from the followers.
A big thank you to the broad Dell family of partners and team members who made this momentous occasion possible and congratulations to all our customers for making the right choice and entrusting us with your compute needs. We will certainly continue to earn the trust and respect of every single customer and partner of ours while keeping our feet firmly on the ground.
